One Year Tiny
It's official. We have been living tiny for over ONE YEAR!!!!!! I can't believe we are already at that mark. In some ways it seems like our journey from how it all began til now started forever ago. And in other ways it feels like it JUST happened. We have now experienced every season in this house and on the farm, making us officially out of the transition period now that we have a better idea of what to expect throughout the year. We've been making changes as we go and will continue to make some changes this summer to ensure a better winter. But we are ready, rejuvenated, and excited!
We moved Lil Blue to the farm last year on April 11. I spent the rest of the month finishing the house: painting, caulking, cleaning, and Jordan and I worked to build the remaining necessities--like our toilet. We moved in at the end of the month and spent our first night at the start of May.
It's been such a crazy year for us. This experience has taught us so much and we have met so many wonderful people in the process. I asked Jordan the other night, "Can you believe how lucky we are?" We are living a dream! (Even though it doesn't always feel so dreamy). And by pursuing this dream, it has led us down a path of learning and experiencing and partnering with others in our community. We never could have expected all that has happened from making the decision to go tiny.
We had many motivators for going tiny. Firstly, we wanted to lessen our impact on the environment. We were interested to see what a more sustainable and minimal way of living would look like and how it would effect us. Would we be happier with less? Would we be more in-touch with nature? Another big factor was having less or no rent each month. Thankfully, our only debt is student loans but it is an overwhelming amount. We wanted to be smarter with our money, tighten up our budget, and have a lifestyle that would allow us to put more towards paying off those loans. We also wanted to experience what a small house would do for us socially. If we live in a tiny space that doesn't have a TV or a washing machine, or even just a large kitchen, would we find that we are forced out of our home more often and interact with our community and friends?
Having our one-year anniversary has been a big milestone. Winter was tough and we were about ready to give up. Now we know we can make it to our original goal of two years (minimum) and see just what else is in store for us. Every aspect of our lives has changed since going this route. We look at the world differently. We spend our time and money differently. And we are way more social and out in our community than we ever have been! It's been exciting and I hope to do a much better job this next year keeping this blog updated with the whole adventure.